NEW CANAAN, Conn. – Republican State Sen. L. Scott Frantz and his Democratic and Green Party challengers debated Connecticut’s job situation Monday at a League of Women Voters forum in New Canaan.

“The business environment has got to get better," said Frantz, who represents the 36th District. "If we don’t get it right, we’re going to continue down the road of a dismal situation. The taxes are too high.”

Democratic challenger Dan Dauplaise argued that the state is moving forward on jobs under Gov. Dannel Malloy. He said it must invest in education, infrastructure and transportation and “create an environment where the private sector can thrive.” Dauplaise drew laughs when he said such an environment would be good for a businessman like Frantz, enabling him to hire more people at his hedge fund.

Frantz said the state's biggest problem is its fiscal situation, including unfunded liabilities. “If you do not hang onto your tax base, improve your business environment and get your revenues cooking to the state of Connecticut to pay for state government, you end up in a state of insolvency,” he said.

Dauplaise said the GOP has a “doom and gloom” outlook on state finances. “We can sit here and talk about the bad fiscal situation in the state of Connecticut all day long. It is bad,” he said. “But they have not proposed one solution yet.”

Green Party nominee Remy Chevalier said it was important for voters to have an alternative to Democrats and Republicans. “This country needs a third party and a fourth party,” he said. Chevalier endorsed the use of smaller, neighborhood-type electric vehicles that take up less space on the roads.